Basil Butter

By late summer, your basil plant probably looks fairly bushy. Time to pick off some of those leaves and make basil butter. I'm something of a purist here. The clean flavor of basil doesn't need a lot to enhance it. Serve this on top of a simple grilled steak, pork tenderloin, or piece of grilled chicken. It's amazing what a difference it makes. To be honest, I almost never grill fish without it.

Basil Butter

1/2 stick (four tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/4 cup packed basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1/3 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a mini-food processor. Blend, scraping sides as needed, until thoroughly blended. If you have butter pat molds that your mother-in-law gave you, and you thought you'd never use, this is your chance. Press into molds or simply scoop the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap and gently roll into a cylindrical shape. Refrigerate. Slice and serve on top of meat or veggies.

Garlic Bread on the Grill

1 small loaf unsliced bread (double the recipe for a large loaf)

1/2 stick (four tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

By now, your basil plant is probably looking fairly bushy. Time to pick off some of those leaves and make basil butter. I'm something of a purist here. The clean flavor of basil doesn't need a lot to enhance it. Serve this on top of a simple grilled steak, pork tenderloin, or piece of grilled chicken. It's amazing what a difference it makes. To be honest, I almost never grill fish without it.